1/72 S&P Beaufighter 30 RAAF

**georgerutherford1861** · #1 02-03-2022, 08:06 AM

Hello everyone,

Some work in progress shots of my 30 Squadron RAAF Beaufighter serial A19-5. This would have been one of those taking part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. This is the one from which film footage was taken during the attack.

This is one of Bruno's standard Beaufighters, I changed the roundels and added the letter and serial number. My serial numbers do not show up real well once it was printed, but they are there!

At the moment I am working my way through the wings, which always give me cold sweats. S&P has a partial wing spar on these, but I wanted to extend it almost the full width of the wing.

I found a nice set of plans online for the Beaufighter, scaled it and cut out the wing profile, sizing the thickness down a bit for the wing wrapping over it. It also came with a few ribs so I am going to try and incorporate those as well. Because my wing spars tend to go everywhere and be a bit flimsy in connection, I added a few braces at the join to the fuselage. We will see how that turns out. I also am lining the wing joint with regular print weight paper to help add strength (and hide gaps?!) when those pieces go together.

You can not see them, but I added a few internal formers to the fuselage using the same plans I found online. I can not seem to get by without them, I salute those of you who make great fuselages without using internal formers of some kind.

I also cut a bit off the bottom of the central window of the cockpit. I had a doozy of a time getting it to fit the fuselage otherwise. I also cut a bit off of the rear of the fuselage, the vertical stabilizer did not extend as far forward as it needed to otherwise. No big deal.

This build will also include a piece or two from Gerry's repaint of this aircraft - this one has been in the works so long I did not get to start with his as a starting point, but he added a few pieces I need to his model (including the small bubble window on top of the fuselage that I think is for a direction finding antenna?)

Doug

**Don Boose** · #2 02-03-2022, 08:37 AM

Nice work, Doug. I always liked the look of the Beaufighter. Seems like this is going to be a first rate representation of that famous aircraft and a good addition to your SWPA project.

The 79th anniversary of the battle comes up next month (2-4 March 1943).

Incidentally, today is the 79th anniversary of the first raid in the CBI by No. 1 Air Commando led by the real Flip Corkin. On This Day in Air Force History

Don

**Larry R.** · #3 02-03-2022, 09:52 AM

Good work so far, Doug. I'll enjoy following your build.

**scissorsandplanes** · #4 02-03-2022, 11:07 AM

Hi Doug,
nice to see this aussi version of the beaufighter (I should say that in a whispering tone, because of the beaufighter's nickname in the Pacific theater).
This plane is not so easy to build, especially without formers due to its pear-shaped cross sections. That's perhaps why the canopy was giving problems, but honestly it turned out great.
Bruno

**Rata** · #5 02-03-2022, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgerutherford1861

You can not see them, but I added a few internal formers to the fuselage using the same plans I found online. I can not seem to get by without them, I salute those of you who make great fuselages without using internal formers of some kind.

Great project Doug and will be following with interest.

Being a dedicated 1/100 builder, I rarely find the need for formers. Printing on thicker paper (100 gsm) and 'pre-forming' sections by eye before joining usually does the trick.

Upscaling like you have here always presents challenges and I daresay the need for formers would be one of them.

Best of luck!

Garry G

**Wyvern** · #6 02-04-2022, 05:45 PM

Watching with interest!

Wyvern

**georgerutherford1861** · #7 02-04-2022, 06:38 PM

Thanks Larry.

Bruno, the design is great - I mostly presume my building problems are faults in me building them, not the design, so I use all the crutches and aids that seem to help me get past my faults. The fuselage lined up great and has an excellent shape, and after I get past my feeble skills I have no doubt the wings will be the same.

Garry, your builds are always an inspiration. For some reason years ago I started building WWII birds in 1/72, so one of my few obsessive-compulsive behaviors is that now they all need to be in the same scale in my house.

Thanks Wyvern, I hope to make it worth watching.

I hope to get more work done on the wings this weekend.

Doug

**Rata** · #8 02-04-2022, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgerutherford1861

Garry your builds are always an inspiration. For some reason years ago I started building WWII birds in 1/72, so one of my few obsessive-compulsive behaviors is that now they all need to be in the same scale in my house.

Thanks. You and I share the same OCD condition when it comes to scale. Though 1/100 is paper, it used to be 1/72 with plastic. ''Constant Scale'' used to be one of the old Airfix selling points when I was a kid, so I guess it must have stuck.

**gomidefilho** · #9 02-05-2022, 08:00 PM

Nice start on Beaufighter I use the same technique on my Douglas DB-7 in fuselage.

**scissorsandplanes** · #10 02-06-2022, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rata

Thanks. You and I share the same OCD condition when it comes to scale. Though 1/100 is paper, it used to be 1/72 with plastic. ''Constant Scale'' used to be one of the old Airfix selling points when I was a kid, so I guess it must have stuck.

I choose 1/100 for my designs for two reasons:

I'm a continental European so decimal systems are standard for me
and second, being a little smaller it fits easier on a (of course A4) page